Demographic situation in the Republic of Korea: challenges and ways of optimization

Abstract

The demographic situation in the Republic of Korea remains difficult, despite government measures to counter this phenomenon. The catastrophically low birth rate and the increase in the proportion of elderly people have a negative impact on the economic and social spheres. The country has to rely on an increasingly expensive labor force and simultaneously attract foreign migrants. In addition, there is growing tension associated with the weakening of the traditional family model in the Republic of Korea, due to the increase in the number of childless families, lonely old people and young people who refuse to get married officially. The article presents an analysis of the current demographic situation, taking into account the historical prerequisites that led to it. State programs and current methods of optimizing demographic policy are also considered. The author comes to the conclusion that, despite the state strategy aimed at increasing the birth rate and reducing the rate of natural population decline, it is not possible to achieve significant results in the short term. Various kinds of financial subsidies to families with children do not solve the main contradictions that lie in the entrenched system of labor relations, which does not tolerate long maternity leave, and gender inequality in wages. As a result, Korean women usually do not return to work after having children. Moreover, the developed support measures do not cover the costs associated with the education of children and the solution of housing issues. In the migration sphere, the Republic of Korea will continue to face constant challenges associated with an increase in the number of illegal migrants and problems of adaptation of children born in multicultural families.

Keywords

• republic of korea
• labor market
• aging population
• birth rate
• demographic transition